FILAPEDIA: PIRATE

Welcome back to FILAPEDIA!

Today’s word, pirate, derives from the Greek πειρατής; derivation of πειράω, meaning “to attempt, to attack”. It identifies anyone who travels the seas to attack and plunder any ship in sight, its cargo, the people on board, and even coastal populations, in violation of international law and for their own benefit.

Over the centuries, the term has populated adventure novels from Emilio Salgari, Italo Calvino, Robert Louis Stevenson and Edgar Allan Poe. Cinema too; from swashbuckling films starring Errol Flynn (also a sailor in real life) to Johnny Depp, who relaunched his career in 2003 with the character of the black-eyed buccaneer Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean – The Curse of the Black Pearl. ‘Pirate’ is a multifaceted word: it can generally refer to a greedy or fraudulent person, but also to a radio or television station that broadcasts illegally.

In FILA’s history, there can only be one pirate, and he is not a sailor. We are,  talking about Marco Pantani, the memorable corsair of cycling. He was given this nickname during the 1997 Tour de France, when he appeared before the crowds wearing a bandana and an earring. And, of course, for his incredible strength, endurance and resilience.

Born in Cesena on 13 January 1970, Pantani took his first foray in sport as a footballer, playing on the right wing. Since he often ended up on the bench, to alleviate boredom he hopped onto his Graziella bike and followed his peers from the local ‘Fausto Coppi’ team. They encouraged him to join the team. His father approved under one condition: “If you don’t make it in cycling, come and change tyres with me in my garage or go and make piadina”

Marco did not disappoint his father Paolo; on the contrary, he became one of the most beloved sportsmen in Italy. Pantani’s epic career has gone down in history. Even though it was relatively short (he raced professionally from 1992 to 2003) it was marked by incredible victories.

In 1998 he won the year’s two most important stage races, the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France. To date, only seven other cyclists have achieved this and along Fausto Coppi he is the only Italian to do so. In addition to his triumphs, what remains is his unrivalled style, elevating him to an almost cinematic character. These included powerful attacks on the ascents, flashy sunglasses, and disregard for his opponents’ study of the routes, because, after all, “a climb is a climb”, he liked to say.

For many experts, Marco Pantani was one of the best road cyclists in history, perhaps even the best, to quote the title of the film that Paolo Santolini dedicated to him in 2021. His climbing skills allowed him to excel in mountain stages, such as Alpe d’Huez, which he conquered in 36 minutes and 50 seconds during the 1997 Tour de France; a record that still stands today. They enabled him to win the Giro on 7 June 1998 in an exciting head-to-head with Russia’s Pavel Tonkov. He wore a FILA Maglia Rosa jersey that is still a highlight of our archive. Pantani’s story is emblematic in telling us what the sporting greats are made of, reminding us of the responsibility and honour we all have nurturing their legacy.

Go out into the world, become a pirate, a King of Borneo (…) give yourself an existence in which the satisfaction of elementary, physical needs will occupy all your energies.– Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness, 1930

Professor, what’s another word for “pirate treasure? – Beastie Boys, Professor Booty, 1992